Waffle House hero courageously took away a gun. When will Congress step up?

In a quick address that drew a standing ovation, the man who snatched an AR-15 rifle away from a gunman at a Tennessee restaurant has told state lawmakers he faced "the true test of a man." (April 24)
AP

When faced with life or death, James Shaw Jr. chose to act. Now if only our lawmakers could do the same in the face of hundreds of shooting deaths.

"I kind of made up my mind, because there was no way to lock that door, that if it was going to come down to it, he was going to have to work to kill me," said Shaw, an AT&T employee who has a 4-year-old daughter.

Shaw's heroic act no doubt prevented more carnage. The gunman already had killed two people outside the Waffle House and two more inside.

Shaw didn't hide behind a flag or the Second Amendment. He acted. When will our lawmakers act to protect us from disturbed young men bearing AR-15s and other weapons of war?

After 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Conn., were gunned down in 2012 by a man with a legally obtained AR-15, Congress and the legislature failed to act.

After 49 people were gunned down at an Orlando nightclub in 2016 by a young man with a legally purchased AR-15, Congress and the legislature failed to act.

After 58 concertgoers were gunned down in Las Vegas last year by a man bearing legally purchased AR-15 assault rifles converted to virtual automatic weapons with legally purchased bump stocks, Congress and the legislature failed to act.

After 26 churchgoers were gunned down in Texas last year by a young man with a legally purchased AR-15 style rifle, Congress and the legislature failed to act.

After 17 students and adults were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Valentine's Day by a young man with a legally obtained AR-15, Congress and the legislature failed to act.

Sunday, four people were gunned down at a Waffle House near Nashville by a young man with an AR-15.

Current laws allowed the suspect, 29-year-old Travis Reinking, who was arrested Monday, to have an AR-15, despite clear indications he had been experiencing delusions since 2014.

Current laws allowed his father to take possession of the AR-15 and "gift" it back to his son, even after young Reinking threatened someone with the rifle last June, and was arrested outside the White House for breaching a barrier last July.

Current laws allow just about any deeply disturbed young man to obtain an AR-15 or similar military-style assault rifle.

James Shaw Jr. risked his life to take Reinking's war weapon away from him before he could kill anyone else.

When will members of Congress and the Tennessee legislature have the courage to do the same?

David Waters is the opinion and engagement editor of the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, where this first appeared. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWatersCA